exemplary en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ɛɡ-/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /ɪɡˈzɛmpləɹi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From Middle English exemplarie, from Latin exemplāris (“exemplary; a copy, facsimile”), from exemplum (“an example; a sample; a copy or transcript”). By surface analysis, example + -ary. Doublet of exemplar. First use appears before 1450.
Meanings
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Deserving honour, respect and admiration.
To answer these questions we must look more closely at the exemplary achievements of [David] Politzer, [David] Gross and [Frank] Wilcek. Here we will see the severe problems facing theorists in both the theoretical and phenomenological exploitation of QCD [quantum chromodynamics].
1984, Andrew Pickering, “Quantum Chromodynamics: A Gauge Theory of the Strong Interactions”, in Constructing Quarks: A Sociological History of Particle Physics, Chicago, Ill.; London: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 224:
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Of such high quality that it should serve as an example to be imitated; ideal, perfect.
The Archbishops and Bishops, next under the King, have the government of the Church and affairs ecclesiastical: be not, Sir, a mean to prefer any to those places for any by-respect; but only such as for their learning, gravity, and worth are deserving: and whose lives and doctrine are and ought to be exemplary.
1616, Francis Bacon, “A Copy of a Letter Conceived to the Written to the Late Duke of Buckingham when First He Became a Favourite to King James; […]”, in James Spedding, editor, The Letters and the Life of Francis Bacon: […], volume VI, London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, published 1872, →OCLC, page 31:A maximum of 80 m.p.h. was quickly reached on the 1 in 264 down through Three Bridges and at this pace the riding was exemplary.
1959 March, “The 2,500 h.p. electric locomotives for the Kent Coast electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 125:Her behaviour was always exemplary.
For thus the Saviour of the world became humane, alluring, full of invitation and the ſweetneſſes of love, exemplary, humble and medicinal.
1678, Jeremy Taylor, “Ad[dendum to] Sect. I. Considerations upon the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary, and the Conception of the Holy Jesus”, in The History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus, part I, London: […] E. Flesher, for R[ichard] Royston; published in Jeremy Taylor, William Cave, Antiquitates Christianiæ: Or, The History of the Life and Death of the Holy Jesus: […], London: […] E. Flesher, and R. Norton, for R. Royston, […], 1678, →OCLC, page 3:The film, with its exemplary sound and special effects, is such a ride that in some instances audiences might think their seats are shaking.
2023 July 5, Murtada Elfadl, “Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One review: Tom Cruise runs, jumps, and delivers again”, in AV Club:All the staff I interacted with were superb - helpful, polite, jolly and smart. I had regular ticket checks and helpful platform staff, and punctuality was exemplary.
2025 November 12, 'Mystery Shopper', “Is Devon the cream of the crop?”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 48:Lady Anne could not repress one involuntary exclamation of "what an inconvenient time Mr. Granard had chosen for his death!" but otherwise she behaved with exemplary propriety. She retired to her dressing-room, which was duly darkened, and there she sat, a white cambric handkerchief in one hand, and a bottle of salts in the other.
1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 14:
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Serving as a warning; monitory.
exemplary justice, exemplary punishment, exemplary damages
For certain torts exemplary damages may be awarded to punish the defendant for cynically committing them and other remedies are available which are purely restitutionary in effect, notably restitutionary damages and money had and received.
1999, Graham Virgo, “Restitution for Torts”, in The Principles of the Law of Restitution, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 473:
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Providing an example or illustration.
[...] I want to round off my consideration of poststructuralist geographies by pursuing origami as the exemplary art of spatial science.
1999, Marcus Doel, “Neighbourhood of Infinity – Spatial Science after Deleuze and Guattari”, in Poststructuralist Geographies: The Diabolical Art of Spatial Science, Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 161:[T]ill he infect and poison that age, and spoil that time that he lives in by his exemplary sins, till he be pestis secularis, the plague of that age, peccator secularis, the proverbial sinner of that age, and so be a sinner of a hundred years, till in his actions he have been, or in his desires be, or in the foreknowledge of God would be a sinner of a hundred years, an inveterate, an incorrigible, an everlasting sinner, yet God comes not to curse him.
16th–17th century, John Donne, Henry Alford, “Sermon CVII. Preached to the King, at Whitehall, the First Sunday in Lent.”, in The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume IV, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 461:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most exemplary | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| examplary | alternative, misspelling, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| more exemplary | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
unexemplary · nonexemplary · exemplariness · counterexemplary · exemplarily · exemplarity
Synonyms
admonitory (serving as a warning) · exemplar (all senses)
Translations (53)
fr exemplaire (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · sv förebildlig (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · cs příkladný (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplificante (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ru приме́рный (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · bg образцо́в (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ka სანიმუშო (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ka სანიმუშო (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · nl voorbeeldig (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · ru приме́рный (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · sv föredömlig (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · bg приме́рен (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplificador (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · es ejemplarizador (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · id patut dicontoh (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · pl przykładny (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · ka სამაგალითო (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplarizador (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ca exemplar (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplarizante (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplarizante (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ka სამაგალითო (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ar مِثَالِيّ (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · sv exemplarisk (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · de vorbildlich (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · nl voorbeeldig (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ka მისაბაძი (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · it esemplare (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · ar نَمُوذَجِيّ (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · sv mönstergill (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · de beispielhaft (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · ca exemplar (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · de vorbildlich (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · es ejemplar (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · gl exemplar (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · izh esimerkilliin (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · tr örnek (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · fi esimerkillinen (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · fi esimerkillinen (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · ru досто́йный подража́ния (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ar نَمُوذَجِيّ (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · es ejemplar (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · cs příkladný (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · fi malli- (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · az nümunəvi (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · ru образцо́вый (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · mk примерен (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplificador (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · pt exemplar (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · az nümunəvi (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · es ejemplificante (of such high quality as to serve as an example — see also ideal, perfect) · pl wzorowy (deserving honour, respect and admiration) · mk примерен (deserving honour, respect and admiration)